


The Note

by totallyrhettro



Series: Young Love [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: American Football, Best Friends, Birthday Party, Childhood Friends, Confessions, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Happy endings guaranteed, M/M, Teen Crush, Teenagers, teen rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-03 19:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17289707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyrhettro/pseuds/totallyrhettro
Summary: After Link reads a strange note from Rhett, he wonders if he feels more than just friendship for him.Notes: Rhett and Link are in high school.





	The Note

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by events from [GMMore 640](https://youtu.be/mvsylV2tcIE?t=403)

Rhett McLaughlin was turning 17 and it felt like the hours were just crawling by until he could celebrate it. He’d sit in class and watch the clock slowly _tick tick tick_ just waiting until he could get out of class where time seemed to move faster. His best friend, Link Neal, tried to help pass the time by trading notes with him when the teacher wasn’t looking. It was great to have a friend like him.

Link, meanwhile, didn’t mind the wait. He enjoyed these carefree days before he had to get out into the ‘real world’. Here, in this small town of Buies Creek he didn’t have to worry about much and not much got to him. If he ever had troubles he knew he had his best friend Rhett to help him out. They were always there for each other and nothing could keep them apart. Though he wouldn’t admit it, Link cared for Rhett more than anyone he’d ever known, in ways he didn’t quite understand.

 _I’m having the party tomorrow_ Rhett wrote out on a small piece of paper. He waited until the teacher wasn’t looking before secretly sliding it over his small desk onto the one beside it. Link quietly covered it with his hand before pulling it back and hiding it under his notebook. Then, when the teacher turned around again, he glanced at the note. It was a slow system, but effective and discrete. After writing a response, Link would repeat the process in reverse.

_Where is it?_

_Just at my place_

_What time?_

_Dinner time - 12pm_

_Anything big planned?_

The teacher cleared his throat and the two boys snapped to attention. Link grabbed the last note Rhett had passed to him and tucked it into his notebook so no one could see it. Rhett pretended to be writing something class related in his own notebook.

“Since you're so eager to write, Mr. McLaughlin,” the teacher smirked. “How about you write an essay on today’s lesson? Two pages, single spaced.”

“Aw, _man!_ ” Rhett groaned.

“Better make it four pages, then.” The teen slumped low in his chair, deciding that maybe he should quit before things got worse. “Good. For everyone else: please read chapters six through ten. There will be a quiz on Monday.” As Rhett and the other students packed up their things to go, Link discreetly snuck a peek at the crumpled note to see what his friend’s last reply was. It was written hastily, but he could make it out. As his eyes scanned over the scribbled letters, he felt his heart stop.

_Just come over, have some cock and we’ll hang out or w/e_

He looked up, but Rhett had already left the classroom, as had everyone else. Standing alone by his desk, Link wasn't sure what to do. He had to take a second look at the note because he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. Surely his best friend couldn't be suggesting…

‘ _It's a joke,_ ’ Link told himself. ‘ _Rhett was just messing around._ ’ He stuffed the note into his pocket and left the classroom, determined to forget about the whole thing. ‘ _Just a joke. It's not like Rhett wants me to..._ ’ He shook his head before he could even finish that thought. It was just so ridiculous, to think his friend could be anything other than straight as an arrow, and Link, of course, was just as straight. He'd never had anything but brotherly love towards the other boy. He'd never even considered it. Had Rhett?

‘ _No, no. Just a joke. Funny Rhett!_ ’ He gave an exaggerated laugh earning him several confused looks from the other students in the hallway. Blushing slightly, he walked a bit faster to get past them, reminding himself that they couldn't hear his strange inner dialogue. They just thought he was being his usual silly self. He told himself he _was_ just being silly, worrying over nothing. Yet as the rest of the school day went by, there seemed to be this incessant thought in the back of his head: ‘Do I want it to be just a joke?’

~ ~ ~

That evening, after Link was finished with homework, he was laying on his bed trying to convince himself he should just go to bed, but something was still bothering him. After wrestling with himself for far too long, he finally got up and picked up his jeans which lay discarded nearby. Digging into the pocket, he pulled out the crumpled piece of paper and lay back on his bed to examine it. It couldn’t be real, but here it was in scribbled pencil lines. He was still fairly certain it was just Rhett being goofy, like he often was, but a strange feeling was coming over the young brunet now that he thought more about it.

His mind told him he should be disgusted by the suggestion, joke or not, but he was surprised to find that he really wasn't. It’s not like he’d ever thought about… doing _that_. Not to anyone. Still, there had been a few times he’d dreamt about Rhett. The six and a half foot boy had been his friend for more than half his life and he couldn’t really imagine being without him. He was kind and funny and cute…

‘ _Cute?_ ’ The random thought came out of nowhere, but he couldn’t deny that he had always believed it was true, albeit on a very subconscious level. Surely it was just a passing notice, a passive observation. It didn’t mean anything, right? So what if Link thought Rhett was cute? That didn’t make him gay at all. He was way more into girls. Just because he didn’t have a girlfriend and didn’t think about girls constantly like his friend did…

Of course! Rhett didn’t like Link in _that_ way. He was obsessed with girls, had been for about as long as Link had known him. The note had to be a joke, and Link was just overthinking it, like he always did. It was a relief to finally figure it all out... Why, then, did it suddenly make him sad to not have his best friend attracted to him?

‘ _Because he’s normal, unlike you._ ’ Link crumpled up the note and tossed it in the nearby trash bin. ‘ _He doesn’t question his sexuality just because his friend makes a stupid joke._ ’

‘ _But what if he_ does _like me?_ ’ It was an interesting thought, one that made his heart flutter unexpectedly. It did seem like they spent a lot more time together than normal friends, even when Rhett could be out with a girl instead.

‘ _Why would he?_ ’ his mind retorted. ‘ _He could have any girl in school. What would he want with you?_ ’

‘ _Stop it,_ ’ he chastised himself. ‘ _Why do you always do this? Spin your thoughts into dizzying circles only to come out confused and disappointed?_ ’ Laying here with only his adolescent mind for company certainly wasn’t helping the situation. He needed confirmation. He needed to talk to his best friend. 

‘ _I’ll just ask him what the note meant,_ ’ he figured. ‘ _He’ll tell me it was a joke and then that will be the end of it._ ’

It was late, but not too late. Rhett was probably still awake and playing video games or something. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind a quick phone call, even at this hour. At least, that what’s Link hoped as he dialed the McLaughlin’s home phone number. It rang a few times before Mrs. McLaughlin, or Mama Di as Link called her, picked up on the other end. She was a sweet lady, but she dashed his hopes within moments of the conversation.

“I’m sorry, Link,” she said. “Rhett’s still doing his homework. You’ll have to wait ‘til the party tomorrow to talk to him.”

“Okay, thanks anyway.” Link sighed. He hung up the phone, frustrated and more uneasy than before he’d called. Now he would have to wait and the suspense was killing him. He got to sleep quickly that night, but it was a fitful and restless sleep, filled with strange images. Brief images of Rhett sitting beside him, so close and real Link felt he could reach out and touch him. Then the dreams would turn as his friend left him all alone. Alone and afraid. He didn’t remember the dreams when he awoke the next morning, but the feelings of fear and loneliness persisted, leaving an unsettling feeling in his stomach. 

~ ~ ~

Link arrived at Rhett’s place, pulling into the driveway with his truck around noon. He didn’t have a gift; they weren’t really the gift-exchanging kind of friends. After running his mind ragged last night, Link couldn’t exactly say what kind of friends they were. He hoped he’d be able to talk to Rhett in private at some point today, but judging by the cars ahead of him, that might take some time.

Inside there was quite a gathering. Their shared friend Adam was there, talking with Don, Chris and Trent. The Smith twins were there too; Josh and Joey, though Link didn’t know which was which. One was checking out Rhett’s video collection while the other was talking to the birthday boy himself. A strange feeling came over Link as he saw the two boys laughing together. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this way before, yet somehow he immediately knew what it was. Jealousy. It was new, powerful, and he did not like it.

Taking a deep breath, Link put on a brave face and headed over towards the two of them. He greeted Rhett with a friendly pat on the arm.

“Hey, Rhett!” The tall boy turned to face Link with a broad grin on his face and a light in his eyes.

“Hey, buddy! Glad you could make it!” He stood from the couch to pull Link into a big hug and the brunet was taken aback for a moment. It wasn’t the first time they’d ever hugged, though it wasn’t exactly common. Something about the hug this time… it was different. It seemed to mean more than before.

“‘Course, man!” Link exclaimed, once they pulled apart. “Little surprised we’re at your house this year. Sick of pizza?” Usually they went to the local pizza establishment, Pizza Inn, for Rhett’s birthday party. Link wondered why the change. Rhett, however, didn’t seem eager to explain. He just laughed and headed over to the other guys.

“Alright, Link’s here!” he announced. “Now we can eat!”

“Great, I’m starved,” moaned Josh, or possibly Joey. His twin brother nodded in agreement. Link nodded as well, though he felt more nauseous than hungry. He didn’t show any signs of discomfort though. As they headed into the kitchen, no one seemed to be aware that he wasn’t feeling himself.

Everything appeared completely normal as they set down to eat. It was still pizza, but delivered, not from Pizza Inn. Link wondered why the change in venue if they were just going to eat the same food, but he didn’t question it. He liked Papa John’s pizza better anyway, and crowded places made him anxious. As they sat and ate, he found himself becoming more relaxed, just hanging out with the guys, talking and kidding around. He kept looking at Rhett, at how happy he was, and it made him happy too. Whatever strange feelings either had for the other, Link knew they would always be there for one another. They would always be friends. Hell, they made a blood oath last summer and if that didn’t prove they were best friends forever, nothing could.

~ ~ ~

After lunch, they went outside. It was fairly warm outside for early October, so they thought it would be a perfect day to play some tackle football. They could have just as easily played touch, but that was for children and wussies. Rhett was one of the team captains, of course, since it was his birthday. Link was the other and everyone else was quickly divided between them. It was Rhett, Joey, Josh and Don against Link, Trent, Chris and Adam. Shirts vs skins and Link’s team was skins. He didn’t mind; he never much cared for shirts anyway. Plus he didn’t want to get his nice shirt all dirty.

The game started out like normal, but Link found he wasn’t able to put his all into actually playing. Not when it came to Rhett. When Rhett had the ball, Link was afraid to grab him and when Link had the ball he was afraid he’d be grabbed by Rhett. The birthday boy didn’t seem to notice, but Link’s team sure did. After they lost two touchdowns in a row, Trent pulled him aside and told him straight out that he needed to be more aggressive.

“Just because he’s your best friend, you can’t hold back.”

“I _got_ it,” Link snapped. “Don’t worry about it.” He didn’t like having his friends think that he’d suddenly gone soft. As they got back into formation, he stretched his neck. ‘ _I got this. Just act normal. He’s your friend, same as he’s always been._ ’ 

“Alright, one last play then half time, guys!” Rhett declared. Link wasn’t really listening, concentrating on his own thoughts. Josh (or possibly Joey) snapped the ball to his twin brother and everyone else scrambled to take positions. Joey (or possibly Josh) immediately passed the ball to Don and Link saw Rhett go deep into the endzone, reaching it quickly with his long strides. He was completely open and Don was already rearing back his arm for the throw. 

Link snapped into action. He turned on the spot and raced across the grass towards Rhett. He was fast and he was determined. Rhett, meanwhile, didn’t seem worried, his eyes focused on the football now sailing through the air towards him. He brought out his arms to catch it just as he finally caught sight of the skinny brunet racing towards him. Undeterred, he bent his knees slightly ready to move and at the very last second he dodged nimbly out of the way, catching the ball to boot.

Meanwhile Link, who hadn’t slowed down the slightest, tried to stop once he passed Rhett by. He skidded on the grass and wet fall leaves, his shoes not made for any sort of traction. They carried him forwards, sliding out from under him and he ending up face first into the nearby hedges. Rhett and the other boys burst out laughing at his expense, but he did not laugh. He felt pain in his right cheek, arm, and bare chest. When he sat up, he felt the side of his face and blood came away in his hand. His best friend stopped laughing immediately, bending down to help him, while the other boys continued to chuckle. 

“You okay, Link?” Rhett asked, concerned. 

“I’m fine,” Link muttered, not wanting to seem weak in front of the others. He tried stumbled to his feet on his own, but Rhett held his arm to help him up and didn’t let go right away either.

“Come on. There’s a first aid kit in the bathroom.”

~ ~ ~

Link sat down on the toilet, seat down, while Rhett rummaged through the medicine cabinet. The first aid kit was a small box and a bottle of antiseptic. Rhett removed them both and kneeled before his friend who looked very nervous. It wasn’t just that this was probably, most _definitely_ going to hurt, it was because Rhett was getting awfully close to him in this very small space.

“I can easily do this myself,” he argued. Rhett shook his head, opening the box. 

“You won’t do it right.” Rhett pulled out a cotton swab and poured a small amount of antiseptic onto it. “Just hold still, okay? I’ll try to be quick.” Reaching forward, leaning towards Link, and getting even closer. Link’s heart pounded in his chest as Rhett’s hand neared his face. He couldn’t help but look deep into those green eyes, but they didn’t look back. They were too busy focused on the task. Gently Rhett dabbed the marks on Link’s face and instantly it hurt. Link flinched.

“ _Geez_ , man!”

“Sorry.” Looking up into Link’s face, he looked genuinely hurt that he had caused his friend pain, and Link felt that now familiar flutter in his chest again. He couldn’t turn away from those eyes. Had they always been so lovely? Such a strange greyish green? Strange but… beautiful, soft and kind. These words echoed in his head; he’d never considered using them to describe any facet of Rhett in the past.

After a moment he realized he was staring, but not before Rhett did. He’d stopped dabbing Link’s face and now sat very still, wondering what was going on. Blinking, Link felt a slight blush creep over his face and he turned away, very embarrassed by the situation and his behavior. 

“I can do this myself,” he repeated, quietly, wrapping his arms around his shirtless self. He desperately wanted this awkward moment to be over, for Rhett to leave him alone with this embarrassment. Rhett, however, didn’t move. He looked concerned, putting aside the bandages and things to just talk to his friend, see what was up.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“No,” came the instinctive response.

“Link.” _It’s me_ , those green eyes said. Link sighed, hesitating before reaching into his pants pocket. It took Rhett a few seconds to recognize the crumbled piece of scrap paper as one of the notes he and Link had passed back and forth the day before at school. It didn’t explain anything, so he glanced back at Link, questioningly. 

“You…” he began. “I’ve been thinking about this note you gave me.” Rhett took it gingerly, as if it was made of glass, before opening it and reading its contents. He didn’t say a word as his eyes scanned the text, so Link continued. “It was probably a joke, but I… I don’t know, maybe I’m stupid I just… It’s got me thinking.” ‘ _Stupid stupid stupid._ ’

“About what?”

“Me, I guess. I don’t know. You probably didn’t mean anything by… suggesting that. I guess it just made me think, you know? Think about… what I wanted. What I felt.”

“Felt?”

“About… you.” Link turned beet red now, burying his face in his hands, wanting so much for the earth to just open up and swallow him already. Rhett didn’t reply right away. He sat back on his knees, processing what was going on as best he could. He looked down at the note, then back up at Link.

“What… what _do_ you feel?” His voice was quiet, subtle like steam, but he wanted to know. He needed to know. Eventually Link answered, though he didn’t, _couldn’t_ pull his hands away to look at his friend.

“I… _like_ … you. More than… as a friend.”

“R-really?”

“Yes, okay! I’m sorry!” Link threw his hands up in the air, feeling tears forming at the edge of his eyes. He didn’t want to say it out loud, but it was true. Now that he heard the words in his ears and not just in his thoughts, he knew for sure. They were true. “...I like you...” Bracing himself for the inevitable ridicule or disgust that he was sure to receive, he was taken aback by the tender smile on his friend’s face. Did he not understand? Did he think Link was kidding?

“I… I like you too, Link,” Rhett admitted. “I guess I have for awhile. I didn’t tell you ‘cause… well, you know. Plus I never thought you’d-”

“Then why did you write that note?”

“Huh?”

“Why did you suggest that I… or that you… that…” Link grabbed up the note and shoved it in Rhett’s face. “Have some _cock_ , Rhett?”

“Uh, ...Link?”

“I mean, were you kidding, or trying to tell me something, or… I’m not ready for _that_. I don’t know-”

“Link!” Rhett exclaimed. Realizing that he had been almost shouting, Link snapped his mouth shut. He dearly hoped that no one from the party was listening in.

“Sorry, I just…”

“Link,” Rhett stated one last time.

“What?” The taller boy held the note up to his friend’s face and pointed at the word in question.

“It says ‘cake’.” There was a strange pause as Link read over the note again.

“That… would... make more sense…” he muttered.

“You thought…?”

“You could have been kidding,” Link shrugged. “I don’t always know with you.” Rhett broke out in a laugh. The boisterous, wonderful laugh that could make all of Link’s worries and fears fade away. “Pretty dumb, huh?”

“Pretty dumb,” Rhett agreed, tearing up the note and tossing it in the trash. “But that’s okay. I would never have asked you to do anything you weren’t comfortable with, man. I like you and you’re my best friend. At least now we’re on the same page.”

“We’re still friends?”

“Yup. Just… now we’re friends who like each other.”

“So,” Link bit his lip. “What do we do now?”

“Well, I think I should put this band-aid on your scratched face, clean up your chest, then we’ll go eat cake.”

“Sounds good.”

“Or cock, also good, but we might have to wait ‘til the other guys leave-” Rhett got a swift punch in the shoulder for that one.


End file.
